Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-03-12

she is a beauty. The anxious and a'nhess'
have i'll their ranks many q lovely fucc and
capable character. Nanny had leen 10 fur
tl,er than tho district school for her esiuca-
ton, and her home training was TOO hard.
practical, thoI ough work. She read NJ
novels Or STORY papers, The Weekly Cuur-
ant and Tue Puritan Recorder ~is.lp.si Ler
through Sundays, tMt on week days she .,al
work to do. and ut night was tii,zl enough 10
go to txl early. So she was simple us well rs
sensible, In the best sense of simplicity, aud |
did not coquetto with Joe any more than Was
natural to any girl. She dimpl,sl and biusksd
when he catnc in, %pt+.tcndel to lc vex.d when
Peter p,cfcr,tst his knce to her lap, called him
al awful thing" if he caught her land ill his
with the milk lail handle, and was always
really 10 80 to singing s'luul and evening
mus,ting with him, so that his true love ran
omiTnlsly smooth.
but, alas! thclc was trouble coming. 1ige, |
the Parker cat, hurt himself seriously in an
attempt to climb the ln,linss Of his Jail yard, |
Tor they were old and rickety, and could not
tx.,r his weight. His mistress nuls,L linn i'll
the lin,S. for six weeks with great care, and
wlw lm was quite we'll again, and stronger
than ever with much feeding, lie VAS turned
out If DOORS and allowed to l,mll aud ravaso
Us w WoiNt, atlu AO HtN HI III uIHlu i CWI.
l)irc was the conflict, hut Mrs. Parker
haSteinsl 10 the rescue with IL pail Of water,
and til" %aStolisl,el Potter, quite drc,rtrd to
the skin. ftsi, while Mrs. Parker picked up
Tiger aud carried him into the Kitchen,
l%uInentims over him As il he were u hurt ch,ld.
Now Mrs. Parker was a shy and silent
woman, hut very r~csolute; slle at once made
III her mind that the Mays cat should
not intrude OH her p,rluiscs to dis
tirb Tiger. Slo lad the garden fence
'cenf"r,si, and even a strip Ut wire
netting added TO its height OH the Mays
Si'le. hut she could not cabin, crib or con-
tine Tiger hiluself-a circumstance that vexcd
tier Duich. Aud when Peter cainc homo to
Mary Ann, after thut first duel, dripping like
u d,Dwned rat, she, ton, was Indignant; hut
what GUILD sh. do! BATTLES set IN, howls by
night, skirmisius by day; u piMY WINS soon
bitten tMt Vt Peters lovely waving tail, and
Tiger list huif an ear. Nanny made invidious
remarks about Mrs. Parkers catovcry day of
her life, uud Mrs. Parker made Jm's meals
hitter To his ~MuI with evil speaking of Peter
and Peters ~fnlnily-ncaning the Mays. Vet
they were friendly enough, extvpt Oh the cat
question. Mrs. May taught Mrs. rarker how
to knit new heels into Ju,'s yarn stockings,
u'm Mrs. Parker showed Manny's mother tho
'ast pattern Of crochet elging; they ex-
changed S,'nplrs Of cako, talked skill ully of
pickles AMI preserves; in fact, had a liking
Ind ~r,slss't for each othcr-all hut the cats.
Before tho lust pleasant autumn days wcro
Sono Joe had gathered courage To ask Mary
Ann to marry him, aud shu had prrttily COLI
tented; they wciv "kccpln' company now,
rnd tho old folks looked on well pleased to
think that neither Of their children would
stray far fluu. home, though Joe insisted on
having Il small home OF his own, il only a
tenement in tho village, properly lrmlarking:
W won't mix folks, Mauny-it dnn't sue
coed: ~ts.Sihcs, l want you all to mySclf"-a
is'rc'nrt"ry sort OF logic that pleased Miss
Mary Ann and mado her assent hearty and
prompt
They mcamt to be married In April; in no
less time cuutI the modest array Of clothing
and house linen be MAIDS ready, for chiefly it
must be sewatt 10y Manny's delft hunds; and
Scwei it WIS, with III intervention Of nu-
riinery, and almost ready, wl,cn-how shall
| tell it!-om pleasant February day Peter
Mniled into tho Euusc with a bleeding ear, a
thinking eye and one leg so hurt Lhut liz could
not even limp on it. This was the climax.
NANNY hud winktxl ut Tige's clormiti.s ul
that winter for Mrs. ParEcr's SAKE Qleuning
Joe's); she hud only once hurlel Il basin Ut
dist over hun, three times chased him
with q broom handle, niid not thrown moro
ttIan a dozen stones ut %hiln-wiirh didn't
count, for women never hit anything they
throw ut, or ut least men say SO.
But now MuriIy's patience gave u great
gasp and died. She flew out OF tho door in
tent to nluim Or slay, but Tiyc's black tail just
whiskeri nut Of the gate; she could not follow
him, ~ size did the next thing, wIirl, was to
wash Peters wounds, put lin to bed IL the
cellar, fetch him dry catnIp and warm milk,
and leave him to that solitude thut the
wounded animal seeks and the wnl,mlrt man
sl,uns.
joe" size began, rusnlng Mt once into the
fray, you will have to kill Tiger. cant
stand it. He Inns cl,nwcd up Peter til hes
most lead"
my dear girl" said Joe. in n dismaycd
tone, another sets Ivy Tiger So"
II can't help it; he's a horrid. dreadful
cat, and hell murder Peter, and he's got IL
ic killed"
but, Nanny, think of mother; she's goin'
to he nlonc aud she thinks everything of
Tiger Why, size never would forgive me il
kill him"
swell. il yon like her tetter'n you do me,
nIl right. ! shall kill him, unless pa will
so ther.!'
Now Joe was not used to girls and their
ways lie thought Mary Ann meant every
word she said. He was really frightened.
"But, Nanny, Just think. What viii mother
sayT
II don't car" n cent what anybody says. |
will not stand by and see my dear sweet old
cat kill d by q dreadful beast lik. that and
not def nd him. I'll pison it."
ooh Mary Ami" cried Joe.
9Th kill him yourself" she rctortcd.
al c. mot" said Joe, steadily.
Wei he knew how Ills silent mother loved
Tiger: like many other women, she bestowed
on her ,.et oil the demonstrative affection she
was too -hy and too reserved to lavish OH Joe.
The cnt slept on her bed. followed her about
the hou " and garden, sprung up into her lap
and II red there as she sat alone in the
%cvcni,.. and however fierce u fighter of his
kind, " IS devoted and loving to his mistress.
More Ii IN ever did sho cling to him now, in
her wo' Hess jealousy of Joe's new love; for
well slit knew that .
MY ,on's my son till he gets him u wife,"
and dee. ly she felt, as most mothers feel, that
her rule and her joy were over.
Joe looked at Nanny with bis heart III his
eyes, but that young persons williUi oul had
got the better Of her sense and her affection
both; she had given Joe her final test; she
would find out now whether he lp;cd her or
his mother list. Poor Joe!
"You wonts' she asked, setting her lips in
q firm rcd line.
NO" said ice, with equal frames.
The situation had cornt to a dead lock.
Just then a wild scream was heard, and q
scurrying CT feet. Mrs. Parker, with a lace
ct fright, drew herself up on the picket fence,